In well-known manual transmissions, a clutch device is disposed between an engine and a transmission, while a shift lever of a driver's seat and the transmission are mechanically coupled through a link mechanism such as a control rod. In gear shifting, the shift lever is operated while a clutch pedal is pressed down for causing the clutch device to block transmission of power to be executed between the engine and the transmission. Therefore, when gear shifting is frequently required, a series of operations become a large burden on a driver.
In view of the above, to reduce the driver's burden regarding a shift operation, automatic transmissions, provided with a clutch actuator automatically engaging/disengaging a clutch device, have been proposed whereby a gear shifting operation can be executed without pressing down a clutch pedal.